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String of challenges brings single mother to Sarasota

Season of Sharing

Felicia and Charle Gwin play together at Payne Park just around the corner from their new apartment

PHOTO / LESLEY DWYER

By LESLEY DWYERCorrespondent

Published: Sunday, November 25, 2012 at 6:16 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, November 25, 2012 at 6:16 p.m.

SARASOTA - Despite living on the brink of homelessness for the past six months with her 7-year-old son, Charle, optimism envelops every word Felicia Gwin says.

Facts

EXTENDING A HELPING HAND

Season of Sharing provides emergency funding of last resort to families in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties — money, for example, to help a family stay in their home or put food on the table.

Every dollar donated goes to people in need. There are no administrative fees and no red tape. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County allocates Season of Sharing donations to a dozen area agencies.

HOW TO HELP

Donations to the Season of Sharing fund may be made by check or credit card. Make checks payable to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, P.O. Box 49587, Sarasota, FL 34230-6587. Donations are also accepted online at cfsarasota.org.

Contact the foundation at (941) 556-2399 for more information or to request a credit card form. All donations are tax deductible.

ONLINE:

To read previous stories and learn more about the Season of Sharing campaign, including what the money is used for and how it has been distributed, go to heraldtribune.com/seasonofsharing.

"Everything happens for a reason," she said. "Things go wrong so you know when they're right, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

A single mother, Gwin left her home state of Alabama after losing her job as an in-home caregiver of four years. "My car broke down, and I couldn't make it to work anymore," she said, "The chain reaction happened; you lose your car, your job, and then your home."

Hayden, the small town she came from, had been devastated by a string of tornadoes last year. There was simply no help or jobs available.

Gwin and Charle moved to Florida with Sarasota in mind but ran out of money in Tampa. Gwin quickly found work at a hardware store but within three months of the move, her godmother and new roommate had to return to Alabama because her mother was ill.

Gwin found a new roommate in Sarasota, but the woman was on the verge of eviction. Although Gwin got a job at Walmart within two weeks of arriving, she did not receive her first paycheck until three days after the eviction took place.

A co-worker at Walmart told the friends he was staying with that he had to fix the water pump in her car because she and her son might have to sleep in it, and as Gwin puts it, "They didn't like that idea very much."

So a school teacher at Booker Elementary and her husband took them in, for which Gwin says she is forever grateful.

A helping hand

In the midst of the transition, Charle had been enrolled at a local elementary school. By seeking out after-school care options through the school, Gwin was referred to the YMCA Schoolhouse Link program, a partnership between the school board and the Sarasota Family YMCA that ensures homeless children are able to attend and succeed in school.

Schoolhouse Link program coordinator Milli Stepanek said the program has identified nearly 300 homeless students so far this school year, and there were 945 accounted for last year.

"Here, kids go to school according to where they live," Stepanek said. "Our role is to make sure the child can continue attending the same school because school is the stable environment."

Stepanek assisted Gwin by rerouting Charle's school bus when they moved. She also signed him up for free lunches and provided referrals that included housing opportunities at the Salvation Army and Resurrection House.

But Gwin did not meet resident guidelines for housing because she was new to the area, so Stepanek secured her first month's rent payment of $799 through the help of United Way and the Season of Sharing fund.

"That's all I needed, this much help," Gwin said as she pinched her thumb and index fingers together.

The Gwins moved into their new apartment last week. Furniture is sparse, but that does not faze Gwin.

"As long as my son has food in his belly and a roof over his head, I'm good," she said.

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - Despite living on the brink of homelessness for the past six months with her 7-year-old son, Charle, optimism envelops every word Felicia Gwin says.</p><p>"Everything happens for a reason," she said. "Things go wrong so you know when they're right, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." </p><p>A single mother, Gwin left her home state of Alabama after losing her job as an in-home caregiver of four years. "My car broke down, and I couldn't make it to work anymore," she said, "The chain reaction happened; you lose your car, your job, and then your home."</p><p>Hayden, the small town she came from, had been devastated by a string of tornadoes last year. There was simply no help or jobs available.</p><p>Gwin and Charle moved to Florida with Sarasota in mind but ran out of money in Tampa. Gwin quickly found work at a hardware store but within three months of the move, her godmother and new roommate had to return to Alabama because her mother was ill.</p><p>Gwin found a new roommate in Sarasota, but the woman was on the verge of eviction. Although Gwin got a job at Walmart within two weeks of arriving, she did not receive her first paycheck until three days after the eviction took place.</p><p>A co-worker at Walmart told the friends he was staying with that he had to fix the water pump in her car because she and her son might have to sleep in it, and as Gwin puts it, "They didn't like that idea very much."</p><p>So a school teacher at Booker Elementary and her husband took them in, for which Gwin says she is forever grateful.</p><p><b>A helping hand</b></p><p>In the midst of the transition, Charle had been enrolled at a local elementary school. By seeking out after-school care options through the school, Gwin was referred to the YMCA Schoolhouse Link program, a partnership between the school board and the Sarasota Family YMCA that ensures homeless children are able to attend and succeed in school. </p><p>Schoolhouse Link program coordinator Milli Stepanek said the program has identified nearly 300 homeless students so far this school year, and there were 945 accounted for last year.</p><p>"Here, kids go to school according to where they live," Stepanek said. "Our role is to make sure the child can continue attending the same school because school is the stable environment." </p><p>Stepanek assisted Gwin by rerouting Charle's school bus when they moved. She also signed him up for free lunches and provided referrals that included housing opportunities at the Salvation Army and Resurrection House. </p><p>But Gwin did not meet resident guidelines for housing because she was new to the area, so Stepanek secured her first month's rent payment of $799 through the help of United Way and the Season of Sharing fund.</p><p>"That's all I needed, this much help," Gwin said as she pinched her thumb and index fingers together. </p><p>The Gwins moved into their new apartment last week. Furniture is sparse, but that does not faze Gwin.</p><p>"As long as my son has food in his belly and a roof over his head, I'm good," she said.</p>